The invention relates generally to nuclear reactor and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for extracting and visually displaying core performance data from either a nuclear reactor core simulator or an operating nuclear reactor.
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In the process of making key decisions concerning the design, licensing and operation of nuclear power plants many reactor core performance parameters, such as Minimum Critical Power Ratio (MCPR) and Linear Heat Generation Rate (LHGR), must be carefully examined and studied by engineers and nuclear plant operators. Access to performance parameter data is important because these parameters reflect the continually changing thermal-hydraulic and thermal-mechanical conditions of the various elements which make up a reactor corexe2x80x94such as, for example, the many fuel rod bundles and control blades. However, due to the dynamic nature of these parameters throughout a typical 18-month core cycle (one core xe2x80x9ccyclexe2x80x9d being the period of time after which one-third of the fuel bundles are due to be replaced), review of a vast amount of time-dependent performance parameter data may be required to adequately identify potential design or operational problems for any particular reactor core.
Traditionally, measured (or simulated) reactor core performance parameter data is printed or displayed as numerical values in the form of tables and simple two-dimensional graphs. Due to the complexity of the engineering concepts involved, the examination and interpretation of time-varying, dynamic, multi-dimensional reactor performance data presented in this static form requires highly trained technical personnel having extensive knowledge and experience with nuclear reactor design, licensing requirements and operational limits. Moreover, partially due to the large amount of information, it is often an extremely laborious and time-consuming endeavor that can easily consume hundreds of costly man-hours. In addition, because of the traditional dependence on static numeric tables and non-animated two-dimensional graphs to portray information relating to time-varying three-dimensional parameters, reactor core performance is both difficult to analyze and prone to misinterpretation.
Consequently, it would be desirable to be able to efficiently present complex nuclear engineering problems involving the review of large amounts of nuclear reactor performance data using a more intuitive manner of data presentation. In addition, it would be desirable to perform time-consuming evaluations of reactor core operating parameters using a more intuitive manner of data presentation. It would also be desirable to have an efficient and intuitive means for evaluating both the efficiency and quality of design of newly proposed and/or existing nuclear reactor core element configurations. In this regard, the present invention attempts to accomplish these objectives and overcome the inefficiencies of traditional approaches toward presenting and reviewing reactor performance data by providing specific data visualization tools that will enable nuclear engineers and reactor plant operators to view selected time-varying reactor core parameters as three-dimensional animation sequences, dynamic two-dimensional contour plots and manipulatable three-dimensional objects in a virtual reality environment.
Since the operational parameters of a reactor core vary over time, the use of digital animation and three-dimensional representations to display the time-varying behavior of multiple nuclear core performance parameters can significantly reduce the decision-making time required in determining core operational limits or in evaluating new core designs. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a reactor core performance visualization system is provided that allows plant operators and engineers to view selected time-varying core parameters as three-dimensional animation sequences, dynamic two-dimensional contour plots or as a manipulatable image object in a virtual reality environment. Consequently, the present disclosure is directed toward a method and system for acquiring, extracting and visually displaying core performance data obtained from either an operating nuclear reactor core or a nuclear reactor core simulator.
The reactor core performance visualization system of the present invention includes a data processor (which may be, for example, an Intel Pentium(trademark) type processor found in conventional desktop personal computer systems) having a large data storage capacity and a color monitor or other display device capable of handling multi-color graphics. Initially, the performance visualization system acquires pertinent reactor core performance data from, for example, a reactor process control computer or a nuclear reactor core simulator via a communications link. Alternatively, the method and apparatus of the present invention could be incorporated as a part of a reactor process control computer or a reactor core simulation computer. Different types of reactor core performance data are identified, separated and organized into two separate data arrays stored in the visualization system computer memory. A first data array is constructed of spatially-related time-varying performance parameter data corresponding to reactor elements in two dimensions and organized, for example, according to its associated two-dimensional core location coordinate information (x, y). A second data array is constructed of spatially-related reactor core performance parameter data corresponding to performance of reactor elements in three dimensions at one or more selected point(s) in time and organized, for example, according to its associated three-dimensional spacial location coordinate (x, y, z) within the core.
The visualization system then utilizes data from the first array to create digital animation display files for illustrating the time-wise evolution of the reactor core performance parameters. These files are preferably formatted using a conventional digital protocol for creating digital image animation files such as, for example, Microsoft Corporation""s audio visual interleave (AVI) file protocol. In a similar manner, the three-dimensional spatially-related information stored in the second data array is used to generate virtual reality modeling language (VRML) protocol files. These VRML files are used by the visualization system to display a three-dimensional (3-D)model of a portion of a reactor core, portraying the 3-D configuration of fuel and control elements within the core, the viewing perspective of which may be manipulated by the viewer. The use of AVI and VRML protocol files in the present invention further allows for the easy and convenient transmission and exchange of reactor core performance information between parties using computers having conventional World Wide Web browser software (with the appropriate VRML and AVI software plug-ins), and communicating either over a local network or over larger distances via the internet.
Utilizing one feature of the present invention, a reactor plant operator or engineer can view 2-D animated color-coded diagrams that both illustrate the positional configuration of elements within the core and indicate the value of the selected performance parameter for each element. Information is displayed for indicating the current burn cycle xe2x80x9cexposurexe2x80x9d time of a particular core element and the location in the core where operational or regulatory limits have been or will be exceeded. In this manner, any actual or potential violation of predetermined core operating limits can be easily and quickly identified visually. Utilizing another feature of the present invention, a reactor plant operator or engineer can control the view and orientation of a displayed 3-D virtual reality model of a reactor core to examine performance parameters of multiple core elements simultaneously. In addition, the virtual reality 3-D display feature of the visualization system can be operated so as to provide a simulated visual xe2x80x9cfly-throughxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cfly-aroundxe2x80x9d tour of the reactor core. For these and other reasons apparent from the discussions of the best mode of the invention below, the present invention provides a much needed and more intuitive 3-D visualization tool for evaluating critical core safety and performance parameter data.